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Forum Discussion
Searching for files returns no results
Greetings.
For years, my Dropbox folder was on my 1 TB 😧 drive and I could search for content on the 😧 drive right from Windows Explorer.
Somehow, one of my settings must have changed because I can see content within Dropbox, but can't search for it. For example, in one of my image folders, I can see two dozen photos that include "camp" in the title. But, if I use Windows Explorer to search the photos folder directly, or even Dropbox as a whole, for "camp", it says no files are found.
I suspect it has something to do with the new space-saver feature and how files were imported into my new laptop in December. Almost 500 GB of space has been freed up on the 😧 drive of my new computer compared to the old.
Can some kind soul help me figure out what's not working with the Selective Sync feature?
Right now, the entire image folder is checked in Selective Sync. The settings show that folder alone is 604 GB in size. Yet, my entire Dropbox folder is taking up only 451 GB of space on the laptop, which includes dozens of other folders.
If I log into Dropbox and search for files online, all the images show up. It just doesn't work when I am searching on my laptop where the images are supposed to be stored for instant access.
Any help will be very much appreciated. Thanks!
- Hey Greg G, thanks for posting!
It sounds like you're using Smart Sync to reduce the space the files are taking on your hard drive.
Next to files that are Smart Synced as "online only", you should see a grey cloud sync icon instead of the green tick. Do you see this next to the "camp" files?
If so, can you right click one of these files, choose "Smart Sync - Local", and see if you can search for the file through the File Explorer now?
Keep me posted with your findings!
- Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Hey Greg G, thanks for posting!
It sounds like you're using Smart Sync to reduce the space the files are taking on your hard drive.
Next to files that are Smart Synced as "online only", you should see a grey cloud sync icon instead of the green tick. Do you see this next to the "camp" files?
If so, can you right click one of these files, choose "Smart Sync - Local", and see if you can search for the file through the File Explorer now?
Keep me posted with your findings!Daphne, you're brilliant! That's exactly what happened. Now that I know what the gray icon means, I changed the setting on some of my other folders so that I have local access to those frequently-sought files as well. Thank you!
when you choose local under smart sync, is that putting the folder back on your hard hard drive, or just allowing you to search for it (I have the same problem of not finding files)?
- Walter
Hey there chuckshek; sorry to hear you're having issues with searching/finding your files on your computer.
Can you please let me know what's the exact status of our desktop app in your menu bar/system tray?
When it comes to your concern, note that when you make your files or folders locally available through the relevant Smart Sync option, they will need to sync down to your machine and will take up space on your hard drive; just like your other files/folders.
